Ooooh, More Book Ideas

I've written before about the ways I get ideas for new books (dreams, names, pictures, etc.) As I was reading about an anime I might start watching, a new idea struck me. I love when this happens. I get a special thrill when a character or setting forms in my brain. Of all the dozens of ideas I have, I know most will probably never become more than a simple outline, which makes me sad, but it just isn't feasible to write them all. It will be difficult to chose the ones that will make the cut, and hopefully my wonderful readers will like the ones I provide. More importantly, I hope that I can focus enough to finish what I'm already working on. :)

Speaking of book ideas....

I think I've decided on my next writing project. In a vote I conducted a while ago, the majority of people wanted me to do a new stand alone. For those of you who have joined my Super Fan club, you will have the fun privilege of being the first to get a description of the plot. I will be sharing this on April 25. Come join the club if you haven't already!

Revenge of the Allergies

I get seasonal allergies most years, though it changes from season to season so I'm never sure when it will strike. Last year it was during the summer, just after we moved to our new place. I think I wrote/complained about it then. Well, it hit again this past week. I get the whole shebang- itchy eyes, nose, throat; watery eyes; sneezing; runny nose; coughing; moaning; complaining; wanting to die. Like my experience with insomnia, I've tried various things to combat those pesky pollens, molds, etc, but haven't found much that actually helps. I'm not wired to be able to use the things normal people use, like Benadryl or other over the counter stuff. In the past, I've used prescription meds, but that usually meant not being able to sleep. It comes full circle over here in Kacie land. I can't sleep because I'm miserable with allergies. I can't sleep because the meds I'm using to fight the allergies are keeping me awake. Or, I can't sleep because of who knows why. Sorry for all the complaints. I realize I haven't posted much about books or writing in a while. I usually post about things going on and, right now, it's this. Hopefully I'll have more updates on Foretold in the near future. It's slow-going at the moment since I'm working again. Have a great weekend!

Snackies

I recently found an online shop that sells tasty, somewhat healthy snacks called graze.com. I was able to get my first set of snacks free. I was impressed with the taste, though the portions are a tad small (which is one reason they are healthier) and will continue to get them once a month. They gave me a coupon code to share with friends and anyone else I know, so I thought I'd post it here. With it, you can get your first and fifth boxes free. I get some benefits too :) The kind I got was the four-snack box, which costs $6.99 with free shipping. There are other options as well. I think they only ship to the U.S., but I'm not sure. Feel free to try it. There are some yummy combos. Here's the code- KACIET3TB

Have fun snacking!

Here We Go...

All right. I'm ready to open shop. This is mostly a trial run to see how it goes. If it becomes a pain or just doesn't work, I'll think of something else. Remember, quantities are few right now, but I can add more if this actually works.

Welcome to Taylor Made Shop.

Shop on Saturday

I know I said I'd open my new shop today, but I'm babysitting my niece today and tomorrow and didn't want to worry about anything else for the moment. Plus, I wasn't able to get the shipping supplies I wanted yet.

We're watching Strawberry Shortcake. It's kind of fun to see the toys I played with as a kid revamped as TV shows. My husband and I are fans of the new My Little Pony show. It's cute and fun.

Gotta go now. The blocks on the floor are just dying to become a castle.

An Update

Last post was about my struggle and setback with insomnia. Here's what I think happened. When I started my new vitamin/herbal stuff routine, I also included honey, which is widely believed to be beneficial in all sorts of areas, including sleep. During the week of success, we were using a brand of honey that seemed to be part of that success. It ran out, so hubby bought something new. A local, raw,  organic, blah blah honey. Sounds like it should be pretty healthy/awesome stuff, right? However, that is exactly when things started to regress. The new honey was the only thing that was different, but I didn't think of it right away. On day three of horrible no sleep, I used some honey crystals we had stashed away in our pantry instead. (Not sure why we had them, but whatever.) That night, I actually got some decent sleep. The next day, hubby bought the previous brand of honey and now things are much better. As I mentioned before, I don't react well with certain types of medication. I never thought that would include honey. Maybe the raw/organic stuff isn't as awesome as people think. At least for weirdos like me. Anyway, I'm doing better and hope my insomnia is at least under control for now.

Yay for sleep!

Trying to Slay the Insomnia Dragon

For several years, I've struggled with insomnia. At least once a week, sometimes nights in a rows. I can't fall asleep. The longest I've gone without more than a few hours of sleep is four nights. Even on non-insomnia nights, I wake up often and sometimes can't fall back asleep. I've tried meditation, breathing excercises, and a few other weird things. (Including a bizarre mat laden with tiny plastic spikes. Don't ask.) None of them helped. And I refuse to take medication, especially anything that has the potential for addiction. Besides, most don't work for me anyway. I can take something that knocks a "normal" person out cold, but for me it either does nothing or makes me edgy.

About three weeks ago, I started taking some vitamins and herbal supplement stuff in the hopes that they would help. After a few days, I found myself able to fall asleep with relative ease. It was wonderful. I would still wake up a few times each night, but I could fall back asleep without too much trouble. I thought I had found my miracle. The past two nights, I've regressed. Not sure why. Maybe I just need to adjust a thing or two, or increase my intake a bit. The trial and error part is necessary, but can be so taxing. I've looked into essential oils and think I could give some of those a try, though I've used some for other situations without much luck. It's so frustrating. If anyone has any suggestions for things that have worked for you or someone you know, please leave a comment. I would love a goodnight's sleep.

Next idea up for consideration: acupressure.

I think I'm going to wait till next Tuesday to open my shop. I need some packaging supplies and don't often have the car. I'm nervous and excited at the same time.

A Shop to Shop At

I have an etsy shop. I have yet to find the secret to success. Over the past few days I've looked into setting up a "shop" on my blog simply using some PayPal buttons. I have it ready (just need to press the "big red button", so to speak). I think I'm going to ditch etsy and give this other idea a try. For now, I will have my hourglass pendants and signed paperbacks of my books. Quantities are limited until I get a feel for this new venture. If things go well, I will add more things and increase the stock. These items will only be shipped to the U.S. I may include ebooks at some point, which will be available internationally. I plan to officially open the shop next week, possibly on Tuesday.

I'm still trying to think of the next Super Fan fun. When I know, you'll know.

Fun With Cars

I hate doing/worrying about car stuff. Though those infernal machines are necessary, they cause headaches and lowered bank accounts. So, our most recent adventures have to do with our car registration. We're a bit late on getting it renewed, mostly because we couldn't quite afford it, (The windshield needed to be replaced too) but we had every intention of getting it done within the month. I was pulled over on Friday and given a citation because of it. The officer was very cordial and told me to get it done ASAP. Then yesterday morning as I was turning into the car place to get the safety and emissions done, I was pulled over again. Luckily, the officer was understanding and simply said to get it done. Now, these incidents are our own fault, but it's still a pain in the behind. Registration will be done today, thank goodness.

On a happier note, I ordered a paperback copy of each of my books over the weekend and will be signing them and putting them on my etsy shop. For now, it will be only one copy for each book. I haven't had a ton of success with selling stuff on etsy, so I didn't want to buy a bunch of books and have them sit on my shelf for eternity. Since they'll be signed, the prices will be a bit more than the prices on Amazon, but I think having an author's signature makes the book more special. If anyone is interested, please let me know. If enough people show interest, I'll consider ordering more.